Tonight's Now You Has Jazz, Jazz,Jazz on the Sound of Spitfire features a live concert by the best of the Louis Armstrong All Stars, from 1949. This was the band which featured Big Sid Catlett, one of the greatest jazz drummers, along with Barney Bigard, clarinet, Jack Teagarden, trombone and vocals, Earl Fatha Hines, piano, Arvell Shaw, bass and Velma Middleton, vocals.
Sid was to leave the band not long afterwards, to be replaced by Cozy Cole - another fine drummer, but not in Sid's league. Kenny john followed Cozy, who in turn was followed by Barrett Deems, the last of the top drawer drummers the band had.
Great though any period of Louis is, I seldom listen to the later All Stars, preferring this earlier line-up when the band was at its best.
Tune in at 9pm tonight (Monday 1st October) UK time (20:00 utc/gmt 22:00 european time).
The show is repeated on Thursday morning at 00:00 hours (23:00 Wednesday utc /gmt or 01;00 European time.